1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a deck mechanism of a video cassette recorder, and more particularly to a tape running device of such a deck mechanism of the video cassette recorder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional tape running device of a video cassette recorder (VCR). The tape running device includes a rotary head drum 2 which is rotatably mounted on a rear section of a main plate 1 of a deck mechanism of the VCR. A pinch roller 5 is rotatably mounted on the main plate 1 and comes into close contact with a capstan shaft 3 in order to run a tape 4 in cooperation with this shaft 3. The device also includes a tape guider 8 which is positioned inside an inserted tape cassette 6 and guides the tape 4 into the nip between the rotatable pinch roller 5 and the capstan shaft 3. A pair of guide posts, that is, first and second guide posts 9 and 10 are provided on the main plate 1 on opposed sides of the head drum 2 in order to guide the tape 4 running through the tape running path. The device further includes first and second guide rollers 12a and 12b and first and second slant posts 13a and 13b which are fixedly mounted on a base slant (not shown) in such a manner that a guide roller 12a or 12b and a corresponding slant post 13a or 13b are positioned on a side of the head drum 2. Here, each of the slant posts 13a and 13b is positioned at a predetermined inclination angle, so that it smoothly guides the tape 4 from or to the slant side surface of the head drum 2. In this regard, the guide rollers 12a and 12b and the slant posts 13a and 13b precisely guide the tape 4 extending between a supply reel 11 and a take-up reel 7 of the tape cassette 6 to the slant side surface of the head drum 2 in a play mode of the VCR.
In the above tape running device, when the tape cassette 6 is completely loaded on the main plate 1, the tape 4 is pulled out of the cassette 6 in order to be positioned on the tape running path. In order to position the tape 4 on the tape running path, both the guide rollers 12a and 12b and the slant posts 13a and 13b, which are mounted on the base slant, move rearward together with the tape 4 unwinding from the tape supply reel 11 and the tape take-up reel 7 of the cassette 6. Hence, the tape 4 between the tape supply reel 11 and the tape take-up reel 7 passes through the head drum 2, the audio and control head 14, the second guide post 10 and the nip between the capstan shaft 3 and the pinch roller 5. At this time, the magnetic recording layer of the tape 4 contacts with both the second guide post 10 and the pinch roller 5.
However, in the above taperunning device, the tape 4 of the tape cassette 6 should be interposed between the capstan shaft 3 and the pinch roller 5 when the cassette 6 is loaded on the main plate 1. Additionally, the second guide post 10 is fixed to the main plate 1. Hence, the above elements 3, 5 and 10 should be placed on their specified positions, so that the tape running device does not achieve the recent trend of miniaturization of the VCR. Furthermore, the second guide post and a rubber surface of the pinch roller 5 necessarily contact with the magnetic recording layer of the tape 4, thereby causing damage of the magnetic recording layer of the tape 4. When the rubber surface of the pinch roller 5 is stuck with a foreign substance, the magnetic recording layer of the tape 4 may be stained with the foreign substance and may cause deterioration of the picture quality.